Summary: Being the new girl is tough- just ask sixteen-year-old Rio Jones. A New York transplant, Rio has no clue how she's going to fit in at her fancy new private school in Southern California. Plus, being late, over-dressed, and named after a Duran Duran song doesn't make the first day any better.

Then Rio meets Kristi. Beautiful, rich, and a cheerleader, Kristi is the queen bee of Newport Beach. And Kristi isn't friends with just anyone, so Rio is thrilled when she's invited to be part of their most exclusive, popular clique. Of course, like with any club, Kristi and her friends have rules: Always smile (even when you don't mean it), always dress cute (and never repeat an outfit) and always flirt (but only with jocks, preps, and rich college guys) .

At first Rio is havign a great time, but as she becomes more immersed in this jet-set crowd, she figures our there is one last rule that her new friends forgot to mention- don't cross Kristi...

My thoughts on the....

PLOT: Oh my, it's been done SO many times before. Totally and completely predictable every step of the way.

CHARACTERS: I didn't feel much of an attachment to any of the characters, including Rio- she actually whined about how hard it was for her to be beautiful and model-like. ALL the time. Something about her just didn't work for me. And the other characters? Didn't click either. I felt like something was missing from them, like they weren't really there (yes, I KNOW it's a book, do you get what I mean though?).

START/ENDING: Slow beginning, but I was pretty happy with the ending. At least she got over herself, and it was cute and sweet.

SETTING: Not much of a setting- this book was pretty bad about using the details that make a book interesting. Mainly, it was a big breakdown of what EVERYONE was wearing. At every second of the day. Not fun, my friends.

WRITING: The writing did have some plausibility- it was respectably funny. But (there's always a but with this book) it was really repetitive, and, as stated in the characters section, whiny. I kept getting distracted and bored, letting my eyes flit around.

OVERALL/ANYTHING ELSE?: I've always shied away from Allyson Noel's books on the shelves- now, I kind of see why. If you're curious and in a serious state of bookdrought, maybe pick up a copy at the library, but don't waste your time otherwise.

OMGOMGOMG readitreaditreadit,nownownow! Is what I really want to use for this review, but that's not what I'm paid (albeit in books) to do, so let's break it down into more sophisticated rant sentences, shall we?'

CHARACTERS: More than anything, I think it was the characters that made me fall in love with this book. Ridiculously cool dorks, each one unique, hilarious, and expertly flawed, as real and layered as if they were existing, they kept me laughing hysterically throughout the book. These are the kind of people you'd want to be friends with!

PLOT: Great plot. It was exciting, and kept you turning pages while at the same time wanting to make it last for a while, just so you can enjoy it's sheer awesomeness for longer. And the whole thing about paper towns, I thought was fascinating, and I loved the little clues Margo left for Quentin.

SETTING: No complaints about the setting. He pretty much nailed it, as he did with the rest of the book: Making you feel like you were there, right beside Quentin and the rest of them.

WRITING: Absolutely phenominal writing. Like I said in the setting section, you felt like you were there, and the sensory details were great. Quentin's voice showed through smashingly too (can you tell that I'm running out of a variety of words to use to describe this book?)- hilarious, honest, and you could tell how much he loved Margo, what he said about her- I loved it.

START/ENDING: Great, fast paced start, with Margo sneaking in and their night, and the ending, while not exactly what I wanted, worked out better than what I wanted (I can't tell you because it'll spoil the plot, sorry), more satisfying.

OVERALL/ANYTHING ELSE?: Overall, readitreaditREAD.IT! One of the best written books I've read in a long time (which is saying something, since I just read If I Stay and Wintergirls!), add it to the top of you're must read list. As to anything else, can I just say how much I want Margo's record collection!?! She had all these great records, practically every one from every band... *sigh* to have that would be to fulfill my life. As soon as I get a record player. Also, as part of anything else, I would like to say what an EXCELLENT movie this would make. Think about it.

UPDATE: I looked up a site in the book, called Omnictionary (check it out, if you're a fan of this book!)- it's an actual site created in '03... and GUESS WHAT I SAW?!?! PAPER TOWNS WILL BE A MOVIE IN 2010! YES! I AM VICTORIOUS! I CAN CONTROL THOSE WHO MAKE MOVIES TO MAKE THIS A MOVIE! I AM ALL POWERFUL! *ahem* Sorry. Caps got stuck.*hums* I know what I'm featuring for Movie Monday tomorrow...

SUMMARY (from Amazon): When Katie Kitrell is shipped off to boarding school by her distant father and overbearing mother, it doesn’t take her long to become part of the It Crowd. She’s smart, she’s cute, and she’s an Olympic-bound swimmer who has a first class ticket to any Ivy League school of her choice. But what her new friends, roommate, and boyfriend don’t know is that Katie is swimming away from her past, and from her schizophrenic older brother, Will, who won’t let her go. And when he does the unthinkable, it’s all Katie can do to keep her head above water.

CHARACTERS: The characters were remarkable developed and layered for a first novel (for any novel, really!), and you got to know them on a really deep level- Warman did an excellent job of that, but still, I didn't really feel a connection with them. There really was only one character I truly liked, and that was Mazzie Moon- even though she was really awful sometimes, and mean, I loved the relationship she and Katie developed. It was something everyone wants in a best friend, and it was magnificiently real. All of the relationships were intricate, as well, which is also something to give her much credit for.

PLOT: To quote the accolade on the back from a fellow author of hers, it was predictable but totally unexpected. I know that makes no sense- I'll try to explain as best I can: It was full of surprises and turns, like real life is, but at the same time so true and relatable to our own lives, in the "predicable" sense.

SETTING: Her small town from where she just wants to escape was detailed greatly, and it was always believable, to the point that you felt you were reading a biography.

WRITING: The writing was really excellent for a debut, deep and thoughful, and with lots of details- but not to the point that it got boring.

START/ENDING: At first, I wasn't sure if this was going to be something I liked- this really awful thing with a cat being dropped almost made me throw up in math class- but then, once you get used to it all, and know the characters, it gets better with time.

OVERALL/ANYTHING ELSE?: Something I would recommend, very memorable, and true to life.

Saturday, August 29, 2009

So, some of you left comments on a recent post about how you wish I didn't "approve..." something? I don't understand what you want me to do. Have I done something that made you upset? Do you mean the comment moderation? The only reason I do that is so I know when I have comments and can reply to them and read them. But if it's bothering you guys, I'll take it off right away!

Hi! I was browsing the internet, my favorite hobby on weekends (I know I should go do my chores and read, but oh well :P), and I found this cool little summer reading questionairre! It was on The N, one of the articles... I thought the article was pretty funny too, so I'm copying and pasting (thank God for that little piece o' technology!). So please disreguard all "I"s and "me"s in it. The only thing mine is the answers to the questions, coz I'm lazy like that!

"Holy vampire-loving mobs! So, as I write this, there are approximately 3 twazillion crazed Twilighters camping outside our offices -- sitting on the filthy, pee-stained sidewalks of Times Square -- waiting to get into tonight's sold-out Breaking Dawn Concert Series (which, fear not, we will all be able to watch live and streaming on the Internets right here. In fact, I actually tripped over some such fangirl on my walk back from lunch, and (SMACK! Whoahohoa.) almost spilled burrito all over her DIY "Mrs. Edward Cullen" t-shirt. Not cool! But it's cool. My burrito and I and the young "Mrs. Cullen" survived the incident unscathed. And in the end I was just really really psyched to see so many people so passionate about... books.So here. A questionnaire about 'em. Post your answers in the comments and compare, for the sake of fun." [End of article, now for the Q and A!]

My answers in bold:1) Name a book you recently read, or are in the middle of reading. Breathless, by Jessica Warman2) Who wrote it? Jessica Warman. Remember?3) Explain the story in 15 words or less. Katie Kitrell's schizophrenic brother threatens to wipe away her new life at boarding school, with a boyfriend and as a member of the elite popular croud. 4) How many pages long? 3115) Hardcover or paperback? Hardcover. 7) When was it written? August 2009, released the 25. 8) Describe the book's cover in 10 words or less. A gorgeous aquamarine with a girl swimming, showing just her face, hidden behind her hair. (oops, that was more wasn't it?!)9) Rate the book on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 = snoresville, 10 = geniustown) 6.5 or 7. Still deciding. 10) For fun or because you have to? For fun!11) Bookmark, folded corners, or what? I grabbed the form letter the book came with from the publisher as a bookmark. Dogearing is a federal offense in my book!12) Do you underline/highlight? Nooo...?13) Name one word in the book that you don't understand. Look it up. And define it here. I'm pretty well versed in my vocab, thank you very much! 14) Stick your nose in the book and flip through it. Describe what you smell. Paper? ANd cinammon. Some cinammon fell in it... long story :P15) Take the DAY of your birthday and flip to that page number. Take the MONTH of your birthday and go to that sentence number on the page. Copy down that sentence. Will doesn't say anything. (That's the sentence, not me telling you!)K, bye all! Hope you like meh meme.

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Heylo chickadees! I've been racking my brain for ideas, and then I looked to my chai latte for inspiration (coz we all know coffee is always the answer), and then it came to me to do a coffee themed Thursday feature! *wipes sweat off forehead from the seriously draining thinking*

Items:

Confessions of A Triple Shot Betty, by Jody Gehrman

Death by Latte, by Linda Gerber

Coffeehouse Angel, by Suzanne Selfors

The Espressologist, by Kristina Springer

(Drop a comment if you have something you'd like to add- this is my favorite theme!)

My thoughts on the books:

CoaTSB: I just wrote a review a while ago- I wasn't a big fan of it. But it was still a decent book, and should be counted in!

Death by Latte: I've yet to read this series, and just so you know, this is the 2nd book. But I love the cover, and, of course, the coffee cup.

C0ffeehouse Angel: My very first ARC, and thatwasn't the only reason I loved it :) If you haven't read it yet I highly recommend it, although it did have some flaws, but then, what book doesn't?

The Espressologist: Personally, I liked the old cover of the book better... but this one is growing on me :P It's just that it's been done before so, so many times, and doesn't catch your attention as much as the other. BUT, the book itself sounds fantastic, I can't wait to read it!

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Hey everybody! I saw this cool little challenge a while ago, and I've decided to do it. The rules are changed though, most likely, because... well, it's me improving it for myself :P Plus, I made a nifty little button on Picnik so it's ALL MINE! *ahem*\

What do you think of my button? I typed chance into that flickrCC thing, and it gave me dice. I sharpened it, and did the classic tone, then picked a scrawly text, colors, and whatnot. I was going to add those sweet lil' Tombots Margo's always using- but that's her thing (for now. Margo? I'm warning you in advance that I'm tearing those adorable little thingys from your Picnik account just as soon as I make me comment award I have in the works. K?!)

Anyways, here's the rules and stuff:

1) Remember the random word page we used last month for the "If I Were An Author" meme? Bookmark it, it'll be the central part of this challenge. (I have to get off soon so I'll come back tomorrow and superimpose it in again, sorry!)

2) Go to that site, and click refresh 9 times, so you'll have 10 words. Write them down so you don't forget!

3) Go to Amazon and type each word in seperately for searches.

4) Read the first book you see result you see that's appealing- just by the cover ( ooh, idea for another challenge... :D)!

Coz the zombie chickens are here! At least, they are on this cool award Margo just gave me. Isn't it... cool? Ah, the wit :P

The description of the award, as ripped off shamelessly by me:

The blogger who receives this award believes in the Tao of the zombie chicken - excellence, grace and persistence in all situations, even in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. These amazing bloggers regularly produce content so remarkable that their readers would brave a raving pack of zombie chickens just to be able to read their inspiring words. As a recipient of this world-renowned award, you now have the task of passing it on to at least 5 other worthy bloggers. Do not risk the wrath of the zombie chickens by choosing unwisely or not choosing at all...

Well. Nice to know I have some tao. I should go refocus my chi now (Yup, I'm watching too much Design Star. My parents made me- and guess what? That and Drop Dead Diva [is anyone watching that besides me!? I love it!] are some of his favorite tv shows. No comment from me!).

So, I'm going to nominate blogging friends that don't already have the award, since I only have 5 spaces (but I'm renominating you guys, 'k?):

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Book mooch, that is. I saw a post about this on Allison's cooleo blog a second ago, and I wanted to tell you guys about it :)

BookMooch is this fabulous little group you can join in which you give books to get books. The steps:

1) Join, of course.2) Create a list of books you'd like to give away.3) Create a wishlist of books you want.4) Mail in your books for points.5) Ask for books from others with your points.

BookMooch operates on a point system, as mentioned up there...kMooch

Add a book to your inventory- +1/10 of a pointGive away a book (in your own country)- +1 pointGive away a book (internationally)- +3 pointsMooch a book (in your own country)- -1 pointMooch a book (internationally)- -2 pointsAcknowledge recieving a book you mooched- +1/10 of a point

Saturday, August 22, 2009

God, I can't even think of anything to say to do this book justice. I though Envy was a 5 of 5? It's totally irrelevant compared to this. I'll try to write a good review to the best of my ability, though.

SUMMARY: Lia and Cassie were best friends, wintergirls frozen in matchstick bodies. But now Cassie is dead. Lia's mother is busy sabing other people's lives. Her father is away on business. Her stepmother is clueless. And the voice inside Lia's head keeps telling her to remain in control, stay strong, lose more, weigh less. If she keeps going on like this- thin, thinner, thinnest- maybe she'll disappear altogether.In her most emotionally wrenching, lyrically written book since Speak, Anderson explores one girl's chilling descent into anorexia.

I don't think I should use my usual format of critiquing for this review.)

This is definitely the hardest review I've had to write. I'm trying and trying... nothing comes to mind wrong with this book. I know it's my job to be an objective reader and point out good and bad things about the book, and never have a gush review because there's always something wrong with a book... but God, it's just amazing.

Sure, I've read books about eating disorders before, but NOTHING like this. The writing is like poetry, it flows like music, too. You really get the full sense and then some of Lia's experience, and you won't want to be sucked back out.

But I'm asking you seriously... don't let anyone younger than about 14 read it (yes, I read it and I'm 13. Trust me, it affects you... more in a second on that). I'm not saying censor it by any means- I despise that, and can't wait for October to celebrate Banned Books Week- but it's extremely strong. "Sickening" and "terrifying" has been used many a time by some reviewers, not how I'd term it, though. And if you suspect someone who wants to read it is easily susceptible to things like this, it could give them ideas and send them over the edge. It involves REALLY serious issues- cutting, anorexia, death, depression... and all of it graphic but not in an awful way. Does any of this make sense?

But it you think you can handle it, this book's required reading for you absolutely. My whole view on things like this has changed totally thanks to this book.

Ok guys, I am officially OUTRAGED. I'll tell you why in a second, but first the facts of Envy, then opinions...:

Title: Envy

Author: Anna Godbersen

Publisher: HarperCollins

MSRP (Hardback; USA): $17.99

Pages (numbered): 405

Rating: * * * * */5!

By FAR the best Luxe book yet. I just finished it, and I slammed the book closed. Reason for infuriation, as previously mentioned? DRAMADRAMADRAMA!!!! My head is spinning. I feel all gushy about the book, but I'll remain a critic for your sake, 'k?

SYNOPSIS (COURTESY OF AMAZON):Jealous whispers.Old rivalries.New betrayals.Two months after Elizabeth Holland's dramatic homecoming, Manhattan eagerly awaits her return to the pinnacle of society. When Elizabeth refuses to rejoin her sister Diana's side, however, those watching New York's favorite family begin to suspect that all is not as it seems behind the stately doors of No. 17 Gramercy Park South.Farther uptown, Henry and Penelope Schoonmaker are the city's most celebrated couple. But despite the glittering diamond ring on Penelope's finger, the newlyweds share little more than scorn for each other. And while the newspapers call Penelope's social-climbing best friend, Carolina Broad, an heiress, her fortune—and her fame—are anything but secure, especially now that one of society's darlings is slipping tales to the eager press.In this next thrilling installment of Anna Godbersen's bestselling Luxe series, Manhattan's most envied residents appear to have everything they desire: Wealth. Beauty. Happiness. But sometimes the most practiced smiles hide the most scandalous secrets . . .

PLOT: Wonderful plot- perfectly planned, complicated, and twists your heart in just the right way. It just keeps throwing me for a six every chapter. (Australian term I ripped off from The Year of Secret Assignments... :P)

CHARACTERS: I love the characters. Even when I have sheer and utter hatred- like I do for Penelope, e.g.- they're awesome. And I love how the book is omnicent and takes turns focusing on the different characters so you really get a lot more out of it. My favorite character, I think, was at Lina- and towards the end of the book I favored Elizabeth more.

START/ENDING- Great, unique prologue- it's about a bird, soaring through New York, and it shows events happening at the end of the book through the bird's view- but you don't know who it is, or exactly what's happening, and the bird flies off to another character. The ending was a bit too abrupt- I turned the page and saw the acknowledgments, and that made me MAD. They're killing me until October. But I guess it's excusable since it's a series and that's how the roll... *sigh*

SETTING: You'd think this would be a bit boring, considering it's just high society, but I love the setting. It's not like a regency romance, and how boring they are- it has fantastic, enchanting details that draw you in, make you feel like you're there, like you're Lina out on the streets alone, Penelope taking desperate measures, and Elizabeth grieving.

WRITING: Great writing to- see Setting! However- and this is my ONLY complaint- It was a bit pretentious and dragged-out at times. And if I had to hear about the colors of someone's sage colored eyes or their bee stung lips again, or about every stitch of the dress the wore, I was going to scream. But that was rare and compared to the rest of the book, it's acceptable.

OVERALL: I think I've made it very clear that I loved it! Have you read this series yet? WHY NOT? Go, go now, go get it! Please :) You definitely won't be sorry.

I reaaaaallly want to make a change, layout and background wise to Serendipity Reviews. I'm extremely fond of Tweety and all (the bird hanging out in the corner) but I'm not feeling the pink. I found this really great layout, but it'll erase ALL of my widgets! The pictures, info, notes, links, everything I've carefully tweaked, attended to, and revised... GONE. Unless I get another layout like the one I have now, that mainly changes the sides? But i can't find any I like that are like that.

Does anyone know how I can change the layout w/o losing the sidebar stuff? I'd really appreciate it :)

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Summary: Kate Larson has wanted to get into Yale for years. She has been overworked, under-rested, and just stressed. One night, Kate thinks that she must be seeing double, when she comes face to face with Rina, her computer generated twin. Kate has no clue how she got here or how to put her back where she belongs. Either way, Kate doesn't have time to deal with this. Could this be her worst nightmare or a blessing?

Why I want to read it: I love science fictiony stuff like this, and it sounds hilarious.

UPDATE: Sorry it's Thursday now. I got distracted as usual.

BUT... now I get to regale you with tales of the football game I just went to! I ate pizza, walked around with friends, was scarred for life by the utter creepiness of the mascot... I'll never do it again, since football is BO-RING. But fun while it lasted :)

P.S. Sorry this one was kinda thin. I just got an email about being nominated for.. BBAW, I think it's called? So I have to work on it. I don't know what it is... :( SOmething cool I hope?

...Well, not that different, since I post about music a LOT. But I just wanted to share with you guys some really great bands and songs I found via Pandora- has anyone used that site? I think I'm in love! I'm using it right now, listening to my Altie/Indie genre station I made. Go check it out, you'll ifnd some great bands!- and iTunes indie spotlight. Also, lol I looked up songs they played on Gilmore Girls :P But hey, it helped me find The Shins! And may I just say how did I love music before them? I love that voice :)

So here's some awesome songs running through my head for you to check out:

1) Jamie All Over- Mayday Parade2) Say Anything (Else)- Cartel3) Turn On Me- The Shins4) So Says I- The Shins5) All Apologies- Nirvana6) Teddy Picker- Arctic Monkeys7) The New Year- Death Cab for Cutie8) No Sunlight- Death Cab for Cutie9) Karma Police- Radiohead10) Panic! At the Disco songs

And bunches of others. Yeah, some are a bit emoish, but still really cool.

And then I found songs by the trubadour of Stars Hollow, on Gilmore Girls- and found out I can get them on iTunes! I LOVE those songs. Yup I'm weird. :P

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Hey everybody! Time for a teaser for the first time in... about a month? Yikes.

Anyways, todays teaser is brought to you by Laurie Halse Anderson's *Wintergirls*. And also the letter P. And viewers like you (did I quote PBS right?)

So the rules to this lovely Tuesday occasion are kind of like follows:

1.Grab your current read/ the book closest to you.

2.Flip to a random page.

3.Pick some interesting sentences that might make someone want to read that book desperately.

4.Make sure you don't include spoilers! Also, don't pick something BOR-ing. (That part is my little addendum to the official rules :D)

(Mine's kind of long... but if I cut it off it won't make sense.)****************************"Wait." Jennifer grab my arm. For the first time since they loaded me on the stretcher she looks me in the eye. "David doesn't want me to say this to you, but too bad. I love you, Lia. When I married your father, I swore to love you like you were my own. But you hurt my little girl."She shakes with anger."You hurt her by starving yourself, you hurt her with your lies, and by fighting everybody who tries to help you. Emma can only sleep a couple of hours at night now. She's haunted by nightmares about monsters that eat our whole family. She says they eat us slowly, so we feel their sharp teeth.""I'm-" I start."No."

*****************************

I'd just like to add that the review for this book will be the hardest I'll ever encounter. Have any of you read it? I'm going to be shocked if it doesn't win countless awards. I can't think of something to convey how wonderful it is.

The first is the Kreativ Blogger Award. I just got this from LylaStar10 for the 2nd time of getting the award from anyone (actually, I think 3rd) time of getting it :) Since I posted it for the first time already a few days ago, I'm renominating whoever I already nominated (wow, that was long windy and Outer Limitsy-like [I say that to give Twilight Zone a break]) :)

And then I got this lovely one from Amber!

Isn't it cute?

No limit is specified, so I'll just nominate 11, the number of dots:

1) Sara from Dragonfly Book Reviews

2) Sasha from The Sweet Bonjour

3) Collegiate Bookworm

4) Imogen from Write About What?

5) Allison from Read Into This!

6) Alex and Lauren from A Flight of Minds

7) B. A. and M. from BAM Book Reviews

8) Bookalicious

9) Katie from Katie's Book Blog

10) Jessica from Shut Up I'm Reading

11) Lolli from The Striped Sock Story Society

I'll try to comment on your sites, but some of them I'm having issues commenting on :(

Monday, August 17, 2009

Hey everyone! Part 2 of Music Monday is something really cool I found last week. I was watching TV and on my laptop, and then I saw an ad for The N.com, I checked it out, and they have really cool articles and stuff on there. I'd recommend going if you have some free time, and searching through the nsider notes. I looked at their posts labeled books, and a LOT of stuff I'll be featuring soon, and I decided to use this one first. Here's the full link; I just picked some favorites of mine from it, and some I found surfing the internet. Plus I superimposed/removed songs :)

Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare"Winner at a Losing Game"-Rascal Flatts"Hero/Heroine"-Boys Like Girls"When the Day Met the Night"-Panic at the Disco"Bless the Broken Road"-Rascal Flatts"Bat Country"-Avenged Sevenfold"I'll Stand By You"-Carrie Underwood"Could Not Ask For More"-Edwin McCain"Listen"-Beyonce"Bleeding Love"-Leona Lewis"I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing"-Aerosmith

The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen1.Oasis-Wonderwall2.Michelle Branch-Desperately3.The Killers-Shadowplay4.Manchester Orchestra-Wolves at Night5.Panic at the Disco-Northern Downpour6.Thriving Ivory-Angels on the Moon7.Skye Sweetnam-Tangled Up In Me8.Mandy Moore-Crush9.Chiodos-The Words "Best Friend" Become Redefined10.L.P.-Wasted

Sweethearts, by Sara Zarr

Satellite-GusterCloser to You-Brandi CarlisleNaked As We Came-Iron and WineCasimir Pulaski Day-Sufjan StevensLatter Days-Over the RhineYou’re All I Have-Snow PatrolHands Open-Snow PatrolMake This Go On Forever-Snow PatrolShut Your Eyes-Snow PatrolOpen Your Eyes-Snow PatrolThe Finish Line-Snow PatrolBizarre Love Triangle-New OrderSave Me-Aimee MannChasing Cars-Snow PatrolIn addition to the tracks above Sara said the Snow Patrol Eyes Open album and Aimee Man’s Lost in Space album are representative of Sweethearts.

This is so much fun, I think it's really cool. Coz not only do you get book recommendations, you also get music ones too! Feel free to make a soundtrack to your own favorite book in the comments; I'll post it up here :) Or you could just suggest a song or two to add.

Now don't you have some music to listen to? I definitely do! And I really need to go to the library now and get some of these books- esp. Paper Towns.

As you may have heard, this country just lost someone who, in my opinion, was one of THE most talented people to grace said country- John Hughes. In case you don't know who that is- GASP!- John Hughes is the creator of The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, Pretty In Pink, and- my personal favorite- Ferris Beuller's Day Off. (Watch them!)

He really, truly understood what it was like to be a teenager in the '80s- the unrequited love, insane crushes, awkward gawkiness, bad clothes, and embarrassing moments constantly populating life. To quote myself, he is the Judy Blume of cinematics.

I found this link to a girl's blog who was pen pals with him- check it out, you won't be sorry!

I'm really glad I made my essay about his work- I feel like I did something for someone important to me.

Some advice: Next time your crush blows you off, you get a huge zit, etc., watch one of his movies- it's worked for everyone else ;)

Sunday, August 16, 2009

THE RECIEVED FOR REVIEW: None (at least, not THIS week... *rubs hands in a scheming manner*)

THE LIBRARY:

My thoughts:

Waves: Yay! I can't believe they had this at the library. I almost bought it just before I went to the library, but I decided against buying any more books and got this. It's a kind of mystery novel, and it sounds realllllly good, but sad. I love the cover.

Just Listen: I'm sorry to say I'm technically a Sarah Dessen... VIRGIN (the reason it's emphasised is for Sara L, You asked for a hint in the comments on the review of Triple Shot Betty? There it is!), and apparently you guys are nutso for the stuff, so I figured why not when they actually had it on the shelf.

Envy: I'm almost done with this one already! omgomgomg I can't put it down. SO much drama... I can't wait for Splendor (love that title)!

Triple Shot Bettys In Love: As you know, the first book wasn't that good to me, but I saw the sequel on the shelves and I couldn't resist. This one looks better :)

Teen Inc.: I've been looking everywhere for this! Shorty that I am I had to CLIMB the bookshelf in the library to get it. I got caught by the librarian xD So she brough me a stool and all is well.

Does My Head Look Big In This?: I shied away from this for some reason or other, but then I saw it when someone had put it on the shelf with the back cover, and I had to pick it up on account of the polka dots of adorableness! It looks awesome.

Wintergirls: I finally got it! Mom put a hold on it for me and I got it the next day. Fantastic- words can't convey the worthiness of this book. I sense a rave review in our future.

The Adoration of Jenna Fox: I love the cover of this, absolutely gorgey (sorry Sasha, I'm stealing your word!). And the book so far is even better.

Click: This sounds really good too- I haven't heard of any of the authors contributing but I have incentive to now :)

Aurelia: Another book I almost bought but decided against! Part of my historical fiction (I can't think of the exact genre of books like this... Ivy, Ophelia, Aurelia... anybody know? It'll be a big help when I go on a hunt for those!) kick.

The Film Club: For once I'm glad the people misshelved (they're AWFUL about that) at the library- it's teen non fiction but it got placed in the new shelves. I wouldn't have found it otherwise. It sounds completely my thing, and I'm getting movie recommendations along the way :)

Graceling- I'm reading this for Sara's challenge, as a substitute. I saw it on te shelves (serendipity is my best buddy lately, especially kind. Maybe because I named my review site after it? :D) and I grinned. I got some weird looks.

Ready or Not: An All American Girl novel- The sequel to All American Girl, which I read the other week. My sources (meaning you guys) tell me it's better than the first!

Isabelle's Boyfriend: Just popped into my hands off the shelf today. I saw a review on Em's Bookshelf a while ago, I just remembered- probably why it looked so familiar :)

THE BOUGHT:

Lipstick Apology: I read a review of this on Sunshine Edition (Rachel's blog- hey! :)) and I decided I had to have it. It's amazing, I love it- another rave review on your way ;)

Sisters in Sanity: I love the cover... pretty! The main thing that drew me to it was the fact that it's the author if the phenomenal book, If I Stay. If it's half as good as that, it'll be fantastic!

Exclusively Chloe: This is one of the Elusive 3 (Exclusively Chloe, Shrinking Violet and Models Don't Eat Chocolate Cookies- debuts connected in my mind- 2 down, but the last still is no where to be found!) and it sounds great. (Sorry that phrase is popping up too much in this post! Actuallyh I'm not, it means the books are good ;))

Shrinking Violet- Again, Elusive 3. I am almost exactly like Violet, and the book has a really fresh good plot.

Ophelia: Reading for Sara's challenge. Pretty good so far.

OTHER:

Other, in this case, meaning I stole it from my mom's room :) I just saw the movie, I definitely recommend it! I was going to review it for Movie Monday tomorrow, but I'm doing a John Hughes memorial tribute instead.

Saturday, August 15, 2009

If you're like me, you're totally and completely in love with this button, and if you're REALLY like me you'll have named them too (Oh, you want to know their names? *sigh* I suppose... from left to right and down it's: Mr. Bubby, Kat E. Kit, and... MO. Expirimental names of course ;D)

So Margo's challenge is as follows: She found this list (I saw it on the N website a few weeks ago, kept meaning to post it!) by BBC of books, classics and the like, that they say most people have only read about 6 of out of the whole list. Margo's challenge is to read through all the books on the list below- I'm going to post it, and then put an x by ones I've read... Eep!- no time limit set, but her own personal one is a year.

And without further ado, the list!

The BBC believes most people will have read only 6 of the 100 books here. How do your reading habits stack up? Instructions: Copy this into your blog. Look at the list and put an (X) after those you have read. Pass it along to other book lovers...

I'm having trouble looking myself in the mirror! Technically it's 5, because I don't *think* I finished Cold Comfort Farm. Not only is BBC totally right about me, they OVERestimated me!

So what do you guys think? How many have you read? Will you do the challenge?

UPDATE: Hey, me again! I forgot the final 90- 100 portion of the list, and thanks to Margo for pointing outI missed a point... so my total is actually 8 (maybe 7, see the Cold COmfort Farm incident :P)

Friday, August 14, 2009

I got these a week ago from Margo and then again from Sara- thanks guys!- but I kept forgetting to post it :( So here it is, in all it's glory... the gorgey (omg I love this word, I stole it from Sasha- sorry, Sasha!) awards!

Isn't it pretty?

So, according to the rules, I have to list 7 of my fave things and 7 of my fave blogs (but how do I choose between you guys?!)

I'm having trouble uploading the award, but picture an adorable widdle bunny in a pink tea cup peaking out of the tea cup and crouching back in. :)

So here it is, the rules blatantly copied from Margo (sorry, Margo!):

Do you reach for a cup of cocoa or tea when your relaxing, seeking comfort, sharing a plate of cookies with family and friends? You know the feeling you get when you drink a yummy cup of cocoa, tea, or a hot toddy? That is what the Hearthfelt Award is all about, feeling warm inside.

Rules

Put the logo on your blog/post. Nominate up to to 9 blogs which make you feel comfy or warm inside. Be sure to link your nominees within your post. Let them know that they have been nominated by commenting on their blog. Remember to link to the person from whom you received your award.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

SYNOPSIS: Geena, 16, plans to spend her summer working at the local coffee shop in her Sonoma Valley town with her cousin Hero and her friend Amber. She envisions grinding out espressos and supersize iced mochas during the day and spending sleepover nights painting toenails and confessing secrets. Within the first few hours of her arrival home from a Connecticut boarding school, Hero falls in love with an Italian boy working at her father's vineyard and it's clear that she and Amber are not going to be friends. As the story unfolds through Geena's diary entries, readers discover each girl's strengths, flaws, and personality.

PLOT: The plot was a little repetitive- I kept getting this feeling of deja vu when I was reading it- I was like, "Didn't this happen already?" It did, but in slightly different circumstances. I really would have like a fresher deal.

CHARACTERS: I didn't feel a connection to the characters at all, and that's really important to me! If anything, I was annoyed by them a bit. Geena was so crabby and whiny, I could barely take it. It gave me a headache.

SETTING: Even for it being a diary entry, it lacked details about the setting. So, not much to report besides that.

START/ENDING: Pretty slow beginning, but once you got into it and got the characters down, their personalities and whatnot, things picked up and got better. Great ending, though- by the end, I DID start to like Amber a little- well, I could tolerate her more than the others, anyways :)

OVERALL: We had some good times, and I might recommend it, but it's DEFINITELY not on the top of my list at all.

OTHER THOUGHTS: Anyone else think the cover is appallingly pink!? I'm not a big fan of pink. That probably should have been a warning sign that I wouldn't like the book much :(Also, for some reason I KNEW Amber was a ****** (Spoiler, I'm protecting you)! I don't know how, maybe because that's how I would have done it if I wrote this, but it's supposed to be a shock, so that wasn't good. If you read it and knew tell me!

Hey everyone! Just writing to say sorry for what an awful blogger I've been. Neglected Theme Thursdays, abandoned Waiting on Wednesdays (what'll you wait for now?!), teased Teaser Tuesdays. Not to mention I have to enter lots more of you guys into the Bowl of (soon to be!) Winners! I've gotten more entries then I thought I would- thanks so much, by the way :)

I promise I will try to attempt to work to blog more features, kk guys?

(So, I really like this new format. I cover more points and it's more organized. Agreed? TOO BAD if not coz it's my blog- MUAHAHAHAHA!! *ahem* Sorry ;))

Synopsis- When 16 year old Tessa suffers a shocking accident in gym class, she finds herself in heaven (or what she thinks is heaven), which happens to bear a striking resemblance to her hometown mall. In the tradition of "It's a Wonderful Life" and "A Christmas Carol", Tessa starts reliving hrt life up until that moment. She sees some things she'd rather forget. learns some things about herself she'd rather not know, and ultimately must find the answer to one burning question-- if only she knew what that question was.

Written in sharp, witty verse, Wendy Mass crafts an extraordinary tale of a spunky heroine who hasn't always made the right choices, but who needs to discover what makes life worth living.

PLOT- I loved the way this book was plotted out: once you got into it, and she's given a bag with seemingly random items purchased by/for her throughout the years at the mall, and she tells the story behind each. I LOVED that! You really got to know Tessa, for better or worse, and all her imperfections. It was executed beautifully.

CHARACTERS- Seeing as it's a verse kind of thing (not rhymy, though. I couldn't take it if it was :{) there aren't neccessarily a lot of characters. Mainly Tessa, her family, and her 3 friends. But Tessa was really wonderfully written- expressed perfectly, and her faults are shown as well as the good times, which is important. She seems so real. My complaint about it, though, is Tessa is kinda a horrible person! She steals and lies shamelessly, and she was SO unbelievably self-centered. But looking back, I think that was the point- sure, she did some awful things in her life, things she tries to forget, but that doesn't mean she doesn't deserve to live. But, y'know what, it could have been done down a little. :(

SETTING- I loved the mall heaven thing! It was so different and fun.

START/ENDING- Start was pretty good. It definitely drew me in- I was standing in front of the shelve at B and N, and I read the whole first 20 pages just standing like that! Then my legs started cramping, and some really tall dude is guyliner, etc. pretty much knocked me over. So I just went and bought it :)

Overall: A quick yet deep book that won't leave you dissapointed, and will have you thinking enough as this summer comes to an end so as to remove some summer brain damage.

P.S. Here's my English journal, how it turned out ( I found my camera!):

Do ya like it? I was v. v. picky about the movies :P And the books on the back are a) my favorites or b) books that have meant something important to this blog. Also, any thoughts on my button for Serendipity Reviews? I used Picnik- ridiculously easy and fun, BTW- at midnight last night, so I'm not sure if I was fully under creative influence :P JK.

Saturday, August 8, 2009

I have NO CLUE what to decorate my comp journal with!!!??? I'm thinking movies on the front cover. I'm covering all the basics- noir, classic Hepburn, '80s brat pack, the best chick lit, old thrillers like Hitchcock ones... Wow. I'm going to run out of space xD The only thing it's proving is how much of a geek I am. BUt awesome, right? (oops. But I'm not old!) ;)

And on the back...

You know how on a lot of book reviewing blogs, they have a button with their name? I'm trying to design one. Piknic should make it easy and fun to do, and I just have to get a background. Do you guys have any suggestions for it? Thx :)

Then, I'll print it out, and glue it in the middle of the back, and paste books around it.

I just saw the post on Em's Bookshelf about the new cover of Liar! A few weeks ago, as you'll remember, the blogoverse was on fire about the cover of Liar, the new book by Justine Larbaliester, which showed a white girl with long hair, when in reality, the character was BLACK with SHORT hair. While publishers tried to cover up the discrimination, no one fell for it, and after many of you email the publisher to let them know what you think, they've decided to change it! Here's the new, PC cover:

I love this one. They kept the themes that draw you in in the first place, and honestly, this one isn't as scary as the other :)

I wasn't going to read this unless they changed the cover. They now have my good word, recommendation and business :) I really and desperately wanted to read it, but I couldn't do that. Now I can though, because... well, problem solved, right? What do you think? Will you buy it now? Aware of the discrimination, would you have bought it anyways with the old cover?

Also, thanks so much to everyone out there who followed us bloggers' lead, and did something about it- you guys are definitely keepers ;)

Lydia: "Dear Person at Brookfield: I am a fish. You wouldn't think so to look at me, what with my uniform and the hair on top of my head and all that. But it'a true. I am a fish."

Emily: "My interests: Don't get me started about chocolate! My nickname might be 'Em', but it's also Toblerone! I think this is an angiogram of Thompson, which is my last name."

Cassie: "I always think it's funny when a teacher tries to be cool. I want to sit them down and say 'It's okay, you're a grown up, you're allowed to be a nerd,' and they will look up at me confused but also relieved and teary-eyed."

It turns out their pen pals are just as distinctive. Seb is a sensitive artist with a major soccer obsession. Charlie is a part time car thief and a completely sweet guy. And Matthew... well he's either a psychopath or a figment of Cassie's imagination, neither of which is a good thing. And what starts out as a simple letter exchange leads to spy missions, false alarms, lock picking, legal drama, parental edicts, mistaken identities, and an all-out war between the two schools-- not to mention Dates with Girls and some really excellent snogging (I love that word xD).

Plot: FanTAStic plot. Everything, right down to the tiniest detail, is all connected in a beautiful, exceedingly clever and subtle way, and you have to read really closely to get all the little nuances. It's exciting, romantic, hilarious, and slightly shady at points (best word? No clue :P) :)

Characters: LOVE the characters! I think my favorite was Lydia, and also Charlie. I found myself not liking Cassie that much at the beginning. Well, not that I DISliked her, I just didn't feel that much of a connection at first. But later on you start to like her. The book also has a great range of detailed, unique characters. And the best part? Remember her other 2 books I was raving aobut earlier? The characters are found in here as well! Bindy from The Murder of Bindy Mackenzie was featured in the letters, talking/typing a manuscript, things like that. I LOVED Bindy in her book, and I got so excited when I saw that (yes, I DO get excited too easily :P). Same goes for Elizabeth from Feeling Sorry for Celia (I didn't like that book as much, for the record, but still you should read it!). And I love how all the books tie in together with each others' plots and all. Oops, sorry, I'm done ranting.

Setting: It doesn't really have a setting, seeing as it's written in emails, letters, etc. But I LOVE that!

Start/ending: The beginning is Lydia's writing notebook, which her dad got her as a last minute b-day present. I think that those Notebook bits, sprinkled throughout the book, were my favorite parts. HILARIOUS! (Oops, sorry I keep doing that xD)

Overall: One of the best books I have read in quite a while. It has something for just about every one- crime, love, chick-lit, etc. Once again I'll shout FANTASTIC!

a) I am no longer grounded (the reason for my MIA in the blogoverse)b) I won Six Steps to A Girl from Sara! (I hope it's not too late to claim it though :P)c) I actually have class with my friends at school for once, and an awesome writing class!

Here's a moment where II would do a happy dance, but I'm cooler now. *Cool dance* ;)

Anyways, I finished so many books while I was gone. So be prepared for a flood of posts today (I accomplish a lot when I'm not loafing around on my computer, huh? Insight)

And now for my first review of the day, Heaven Looks A Lot Like the Mall, by Wendy Mass:

Monday, August 3, 2009

Witness, all, the latest- or is it lamest?- marketing attempt since Team Edward Burger King crowns and Twilight themed Jesus tee's with " Jesus is 'Thelight'" on them (well, maybe that ad was the other way around, adverting church, but still)!

Now, for you Twilighters out there, I have nothing against Twilight (erm... maybe a bit). But what shall be said by me throughout this post is rather snarky in nature. Prepare yourselves :)

What am I talking about, you ask? Witness also the button. See that red circle on the cover? Anyone care to read it for us?

Fine, I will: "Bella and Edward's favorite book!"

0_o EXCUSE me? One more time please?

It says that the classic, Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, that wonderful moody romantic awesome enduring work, is Bella and Edward Cullen's, fictitional vamps everyone but me and a few select others seem to be obsessed with, favorite book. Therefore, you have to read it. Or they shall come suck your blood (though apparently, some tween girls may have that on their wishlist for Christmas. Anyone see that E! News segment last week?).

I just need to step back from this computer and take a deep breath, turn to the person next to me (in which case that would by my dog Maddi. Well, things that can't talk tend to be good listeners to of my snarkalicious comments, eh?) and get it all out.

But I won't. Because I want to get my opinions out (as per usual- anyone out there schocked by this? :P) and I REALLY want to hear your thoughts too.

My first thought that comes to mind to share with you lovely people? Ready? Crank your hearing aids up everyone.

*Deep breath*

W.

T.

F.???????!!!!!

I can't believe that somewhere in the UK, Marketing and Sales people thought this would be a good idea. So putting a now-cliched cover on a book and slapping a sticker on there saying some fiction characters SO many people are wicked obsessed with now, like it, so no matter the quality of it and without knowing what it's about, will make teens crazy and buy it?

Apparently so. It's selling like hotcakes.

Wuthering Heights is one of my favorite books, and it's really sad that people are taking this great classic thing and using it as just another ploy to sell ANOTHER vampire romance remake. Again, no offense to Twilighters.

So, what do you think? Can't wait to see these comments. I bet some obsessed 9 year old will stumble upon my blog and rant :P I can see it now... "Um, Meggin! Edward is hotttttt with like 5 t's and a a and... a w. So why you hatin' on Twilight? Next you'll be digging on Hannah Montana. Riduculous." Of course, it'll be much more hilarious than that *devious smile* And as to the Hannah Montana digs? I think we all agree this'll be much, MUCH to easy. (Which reminds me, look for my post about Wings tommorrow. I'll put a review in between for your protection from my ranting ;)) BTW, I totally ripped this nine year old stuff off from Margo's awesome comment- sorry, Margo :)

P.S. Hope none of you are offended? :D

UPDATE: Me again. So I was reading and replying to your lovely comments and I looked at the cover again. Notice the caption:

"love never dies..."

...like vampires? Is that what was to be implied? That Heathcliffe and Cathy are like vampires, therefore read it? *sigh* Here we go again...

Doesn't it say something to that affect on the cover of Twilight?

Also, they're blatantly copying Twilight's cover. From the font to that caption to that WAY too obvious button to that flower. Ok, I have to get away from this and just take a break. I'm getting a bit... ANGRY. LOL, sorry, just kidding :)

Y'know, I like this ranting posts. It's cathartic. And I have so much book-related material to work on :) Like that Pride and Prejudice and Zombies thing, for example. Anyone else slighty angered or irked by that?

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Wow. I just looked at that date, and guess what? I only have 4 DAYS until school! EEEEEEK! At least I have band 2nd period, at least 1 friend on the same team (finally :P) Oh well, at least I'm armed with plenty of books to read. I always have more time to read, too. :)

And now for my haul!

The received: None

From the library:

Girlfriend Material: I can't believe this was at the library! I saw it and I almost did a happy dance. Not something I usually do in public (you can't tell but that sentence was laced with sarcasm. Engorged with it, I would venture to say :P).

The Year of Secret Assignments: I'm rereading this for Sara's DBR B-day challenge. It's absolutely fantastic, by the way! Review should be up soon :)

Carbon Diaries 2015: Also for Sara's challenge. I didn't expect this to be there, either. But my library is fantastic (well, most of the time :P) about keeping up on the latest teen reads, and we also had a lot of UK books there too. So that's good :) The cover made me a bit skeptical but then I read some of it, and it looks great.

The bought:

T

Other Side of the Island: This looks awesome, but creepy. "Earth Mother is always watching." GAH! How Big Brother (no, not as in the show you UK people are obsessed with ;D What IS that show, anyways?) *shivers* But I'm starting to love dystopic fiction like this, so a good part of my requiem. And I'm lovin' this cover. Something about snow globes on books catch my attention- like Elsewhere. I guess it's just that I'm attracted to shiny objects :P

Heaven Looks A Lot Like the Mall: For some reason, I LOVE books written in verse like this. They're always so fantastic, and I don't even like poetry much otherwise. This one is also Elsewhere-esque (plot AND the cover, you'll notice!).

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If you're an author or publisher, I'd love to review your book- just send me an email at meggymegmeg96@yahoo.com, or leave a comment.

I accept advance review copies, already published novels, ebooks/netgalleys (visit my new profile on netgalley), galleys... basically any form of book.

About Me

Hey, I'm Meggin, otaku extraordinaire. I love anime and manga (esp. drawing it), cooking, reading, music (vinyl), and I've recently gotten into making my own clothes and accessories. I'm opening an Etsy store soon, so look for that if handmade kitschy stuff like that is your thing :) Also, some random unimportant stuff (feel free to leave now): My favorite foods are sushi and green tea ice cream (not together... :/), my favorite color is Robin's Egg Blue, and you have no IDEA how much I want to live in a big city (e.g., Portland or New York) instead of the South. Also, I break things. A lot.